Tuesday, November 8, in the United States, Americans vote for the midterm elections. Among other things, they will renew the entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate. Elections that promise to be difficult for the Democrats, who could lose the majority in the House, and perhaps in the Senate.
New Mexico, California and even New York. Joe Biden is all over the country, including states he won big in 2020 and where he shouldn’t need to go. But in those places where, in principle, the Democrats win easily, things do not go as planned. Some seats usually considered safe are no longer so, reports our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin.
This is explained by the fact that the republican discourse on the economy and crime seems to have found a certain echo there. For the renewal of the House of Representatives in particular, the prospects therefore do not seem very encouraging for the Democrats.
Of course, midterm elections, in general, are not favorable to the host of the White House. But between a defeat and a rout, there is a difference. And that’s kind of what the Bidens, Harrises and Obamas are trying to avoid at all costs.
Tight race in the Senate
The situation is a little different when it comes to Senate elections. There, it is played on a few very tight races, where the polls say everything and its opposite. Both parties are throwing all their might into battle, including spending fortunes on TV ads. This does not prevent reflection. Joe Biden, for example, is so unpopular in Arizona that he carefully avoided going there.
If the Republicans take a room, or even both, they will in any case try to unravel what Joe Biden has put in place for two years – from the increase in taxes for businesses to spending to counter climate change. All of this, the president and the Democratic camp will have to work to defend, instead of advancing on other issues such as abortion or the guarantee of voters’ rights. Joe Biden may try to act through executive orders, but his successors could more easily reverse them.
The Republicans also have their own ideas to pass on abortion, weapons or even immigration. And faced with the presidential veto, it will be difficult.
A defeat would greatly weaken Biden
Anyway, on Tuesday, if they win, they will launch all kinds of investigations into the administration of Joe Biden, his handling of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan or the affairs of his son Hunter… Foreign policy American could also be affected, because the leader of the current minority, Mitch McConnell, has already spoken of a reduction in aid to Ukraine.
Finally, a Democratic defeat would reduce the possibility of Joe Biden running for a second term. On the contrary, Donald Trump would see his position as leader of the Republicans reinforced — with elected officials even quicker to follow him and oppose Joe Biden’s policies.